Behavioral finance is a relatively new but quickly expanding field that seeks to provide explanations for people’s economic decisions by combining behavioral and cognitive psychological theory with conventional economics and finance. Considering the growth, behavioral finance research has been supporting theories of rational investors within the efficient markets framework to explain many empirical patterns. Behavioral finance attempts to resolve these inconsistencies through explanations based on human behavior, both individually and in groups.
An underlying assumption of behavioral finance is that the information structure and the characteristics of market participants systematically influence individuals’ investment decisions as well as market outcomes. The thinking process follows a human brain, often processes information using shortcuts and emotional filters. These processes influence financial decision makers and give new insights to traditional concepts like risk aversion, and make predictable errors in their forecasts. These problems are pervasive in investor decisions, financial markets, and corporate managerial behavior. The impact of these suboptimal financial decisions has ramifications for the efficiency of capital markets, personal wealth, and the performance of corporations.